Planet Money

U.S. officials are now deciding which banks should get a potentially life-saving injection of public capital, and which shouldn't. A bank analyst says the government is "playing God" with the banks — and maybe playing politics, too. Plus: a song about a central banker's dilemma.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is hailing a G-20 declaration that credit ratings agencies be monitored as a victory. A banking professor says the declaration means nothing without enforcement. And a journalist in China calls capitalism a mixed bag.

Listeners wrote to ask us what happened to all the private mortgage premiums that were paid to help banks in case of foreclosures. An insurance expert says they'll only be of limited help.

With Black Friday fast approaching, things aren't looking bright for retailers. Retail sales saw the biggest drop off on record last month. The good news: the FDIC is now insuring gift cards. Plus: finance professor John Cochrane says he doesn't get what all the fuss is about.

Twenty of the world's industrialized and emerging economies are gathering in Washington this weekend. One poverty expert tries to ensure that the little guys won't be left out.

The largest auto maker in the U.S. is now worth less than Footlocker. Is bankruptcy an option? And we look at how a one line change in tax code brought in billions for big corporations.

President-elect Barack Obama wants to give the auto industry more help. One economist says they need it to survive. And an auto worker from Detroit calls for an economist housecall.

China has committed $586 billion to try to help the economy. It's not a bailout. It's a stimulus package. Plus: trying to buy a sweet potato on the streets of Beijing.

The full version of our collaborative reporting project with the New York Times. David Kestenbaum has a story about schools, Adam has a story about an Irish bank, and Alex Blumberg has a story about municipal bonds.

The Treasury Department gave its first report to Congress on the bailout this week. So far, it's given banks $115 billion in capital. And a new study examines how the political pasts of a company's board of directors affect its stock prices.

President-elect Barack Obama now has to deal with the economy. Listeners give him some ideas. And an urban planner says economic pain in the suburbs helped push Obama over the top.

A listener asks "what's so bad about lower prices anyway?" An economist answers.

Five school districts in Wisconsin borrowed, invested and lost an awful lot of money. A few months ago, the IMF was laying off workers. Now it's scrambling to save the world. And a listener checks in with a picture from the local coffee shop.

If there's any corner of the financial world where angels fear to tread, it's credit default swaps. Alex Blumberg leads the way in, with an amazingly understandable primer. Satyajit Das follows up by answering listener questions.

The American economy appeared to shrink in the third quarter of 2008. With so many economists believing that pattern continued, it may be time to call this a recession. Plus: An Economist House Call for a guy who'd like to retire.